As Canada grapples with a potential crisis in its emergency rooms this summer, the federal government is taking steps to address the issue by doubling the number of health-care professionals it welcomes to the country each year. However, recent backlogs in processing immigration applications have raised concerns, while Ottawa has also introduced new streams to attract highly skilled newcomers.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced that the government is making significant changes to attract health-care workers to Canada. The emphasis will be on streamlining the process for individuals in key sectors through the federal Express Entry program, which prioritizes highly skilled immigrants.
Express Entry is a points-based system that grants permanent immigration to candidates with the highest scores, regardless of their profession. Under the new process, the federal government will focus on five sectors facing labor shortages: health care, STEM professions, agriculture, transportation, and skilled trades. The health-care sector will be the first to benefit from this streamlined approach.
Fraser revealed that the government invited 500 skilled health-care workers to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry on Wednesday. By July 5, an additional 1,500 invitations will be extended. The goal is to double the number of health-care workers entering Canada through Express Entry to around 8,000 per year.
To support this influx, the minister acknowledges the need for faster visa processing times. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic and refugee crises, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made efforts to improve backlogs by adopting new technologies and adding more resources to expedite application processing.
Fraser stated that these measures have resulted in improved standards. Economic migrants now benefit from a six-month standard processing time, while family reunification is back to the one-year standard pre-pandemic. Work permits and study permits are now processed within 60 days, as they were before the pandemic.
The urgency in addressing staffing shortages in health care is evident, as experts warn of the strain on emergency rooms across Canada. Niagara Health, for example, has stopped overnight operation of its urgent care centers in southern Ontario due to physician staff shortages. Similarly, the hospital in Minden, Ontario, permanently closed its local ER due to limited staffing. In Calgary, 180 ER doctors raised concerns through an open letter regarding the state of emergency care. Rural areas are expected to be most affected by this crisis.
Adding to the strain, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has stated that Canada’s ERs, already burdened, are likely to face additional patients seeking treatment for health conditions caused by the spread of wildfire smoke across the country.
In conclusion, the federal government’s commitment to doubling the intake of health-care professionals through Express Entry is aimed at addressing the impending crisis in emergency rooms. This new approach, accompanied by improved visa processing times, is expected to alleviate staffing shortages and contribute to better health care provision across Canada.
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